Suspension Of Borrowing Services Yields Over N2trn As Telcos Maintain Call Bans Over Debts

Nigerian telecom companies have pulled in more than N2 trillion from subscribers through a sweeping debt recovery exercise that has seen countless mobile lines barred from making calls, even as airtime and data lending services remain offline.

MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and 9mobile launched the crackdown after falling short of updated compliance requirements imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), which led to the shutdown of their lending services and set off a countrywide push to recover outstanding debts.

Ordinary Nigerians have borne the brunt of it. Oshodi food vendor Mama Aisha, carrying a debt of around N12,000, put it plainly: “I have not made any call for over two weeks. This phone is my business. Customers call to order food. No calls, no customers. Forcing us to pay everything at once is too hard.”

The story was no different in Alaba Market, where spare parts trader Chinedu Okoro said his N18,000 debt has brought his business to a standstill. “I call suppliers every hour. Now everywhere is quiet. My goods are not moving. Borrowing airtime helped us survive tough times, but this sudden pressure is too much.”

In Kano, teacher Fatima Yusuf described the ripple effect on her daily life. “I need data for online lessons and to speak with my relatives. Being blocked has created problems for everyone connected to me.”

Responses have varied. Lagos logistics agent Bode scraped together N15,000 to settle his balance rather than surrender his number. “My clients depend on it. I had no choice but to pay immediately.” An Ibadan hairdresser took a different route entirely. “They blocked me, I moved on. It was cheaper than paying.”

Nairtime Nigeria Limited has since secured a Federal High Court injunction dated April 24, directing MTN and Airtel to stop interfering with its telecom infrastructure, yet services remain down. Optasia’s chief commercial officer Uchenna Agbo framed the legal fight in broader terms: “This decision is ultimately about protecting underserved Nigerian consumers. It ensures that millions of people, many excluded from traditional financial systems, retain access to essential digital services.”

For now, with lending still on hold and call restrictions firmly in place, millions of Nigerians remain stranded between regulatory demands and the basic need to stay connected.